The Beginning of James
by Juliana Lunais
Summary: This is something I have been working on for a while, so be gentle. This is about when James first started school. The story includes Lily and Sirius and others.
1. The Beginning Of Something Good

Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, if you recognize something, i.e. characters, I don't own them. (This is a spin off of one of Lily Smith's stories. Only I decided to make one about James.)  
  
It was five o'clock in the morning when the Filibuster Alarm Clock went off, this clock sent bright fireworks all over the room. James Potter, age 11, woke up and turned off the sparkling clock. This day was very important to James. He had been waiting for this day all summer. James ticked off September 1st (GO TO HOGWARTS!) on his calendar. He pulled on his socks, baggy kakis, and a worn out Rolling Stones shirt. James stumbled down the stairs and almost tripped on his packed trunk with his cat on top. Snivley the cat, who is very distinguished thank you very much, was sitting rather pompously on top of the trunk.  
  
James thought that his cat would be asleep at this hour. Unbeknownst to him, his cat was almost as excited as he was, and also hungry.  
  
"Sniv, today is the best day ever! We shall dance on this occasion!" James stated as he whisked the rather ruffled cat into the vacant kitchen.  
  
Just think two months ago he received his letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was so excited that James' parents took him to Diagon Alley the next day to get his school supplies.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Potter family was sitting in the kitchen enjoying their breakfast, when a barn owl flew into the kitchen and perched on the top of an empty chair. The owl hooted to get the family's attention. James walked over and took the large parchment envelope out of the owl's beak. It read:  
  
Mr. James Potter 231 Godricks Hollow Bristol, England  
  
James was high on anticipation. He tore through the yellowed parchment to the underlying letter. The letter said that James was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The whole family was so happy for him.  
  
"Mom, Dad, can we please go to get my things today?" James questioned.  
  
"James we can go tomorrow, the shops are open all day." Mrs. Potter commented, "Now finish your breakfast!"  
  
"But." James mumbled through a mouthful of eggs.  
  
"Calm down son," Mr. Potter said, "we will leave tomorrow by Floo Power after breakfast."  
  
The next day James and his parents stood in front of the fireplace. Each person took a pinch of Floo Powder from a jewel encrusted silver case, threw it into the fire, and said "Diagon Alley," and off they went.  
  
The first stop in Diagon Alley was Gringotts Wizarding Bank. The Potters climbed into a rickety car and were driven to their vault, where they extracted 21 gold Galleons, 23 silver Sickles, and a handful of bronze Knuts. One crazy car ride later, the Potters were off traversing and weaving through the busy shoppers to get to Ollivander's Wand Shop. Inside the walls were covered with what looked like thousands of boxes. Mr. Ollivander himself came out to greet them.  
  
"Hello all," Mr. Ollivander hissed in a rather creepy voice, "how can I help you today?"  
  
James stepped forward and said, "I need a wand to use at school."  
  
"Alright, well we will need your measurements." Mr. Ollivander snapped his fingers and a tape measure materialized out of thin air.  
  
Not but two minutes later, Mr. Ollivander handed James a wand made of mahogany and unicorn hair, 11 inches and fairly pliable. James gave it a wave and a stream of sparks came out of the end.  
  
"This wand is very powerful and good for transfiguration. Polish it often and it will work magnificently." Mr. Ollivander stated.  
  
"I promise I will." James said.  
  
"Come now James we need to buy the rest of your supplies and then you can go get a new collar for Snivley." Mr. Potter.  
  
After James bought his school books and robes, he stopped into Magical Menagerie. On his way out of the pet shop, he bumped into a stunningly pretty girl. James accidentally knocked her new transfiguration book, which she was reading, out of her hand.  
  
"So sorry," James said, "let me help you with that. My name is James Potter, I just came in to get a new collar and tag for my cat. See."  
  
"Well, nice to meet you James. My name is Lily Evans. What kind of cat do you have? I might want to take a cat to school with me." Lily stated. "I have a domestic short hair. He is all black with a white tip on his nose and tail. Each cat has to have a name tag with its name, owners name, and house assignment on it." James rattled off.  
  
"I love domestic short hairs but I absolutely adore Siamese cats." Lily said.  
  
"Yeah, Siamese cats are cute, but my cat looks cool. Well, see you on the train. I need to get a few things here, then I'm off." James said.  
  
"I guess so. See you then." stated Lily.  
  
As she walked into the shop, James noticed how the light caught on her red hair. He secretly wished that September 1st was not so far away. He thought that Lily was very beautiful and he wanted to spend more time with her. James met back up with his parents and traveled back to the house by Floo Powder. 


	2. At King's Cross

Disclaimer: Yeah Yeah, you know the drill, if u see anything familiar I don't own it.  
  
At Kingscross Station, James and his good friends had already arrived and had gotten settled in compartments on the train. James had gone in and out of the barrier that separates London from Platform 9 ¾ many times. During one of these trips, he spotted Lily. She looked so beautiful today. Lily was wearing dark blue jeans, a Beatles t-shirt, and was heaving a trolley with her trunk and a peculiar wicker basket balanced on top. James slipped back through the barrier and grabbed his best friend Sirius.  
  
"Lily! Hey Lily! Over here!" James screamed.  
  
"There is no way that you are my friend.." Sirius said, as he acted oblivious to James. Lily walked over and noticed how cute James looked.  
  
"Hey James, who's your friend?" Lily asked.  
  
"Oh," grabbing Sirius and tugging him forward, "this is Sirius Black, my best friend! Well aren't you going to say hi?"  
  
"Fine. Hi Lily" Sirius scoffed. " I bet you don't even know how to get to the train." Sirius had a feeling that this girl was going to steal his James from him.  
  
"So?" Lily states, "I'm sure I can guess!" starts patting the wrong wall.  
  
"Lily it's this way," James motions, pushes on the wall, and slides through and back. "See?"  
  
"Oh well I'm sure I could have found that out on my own." Lily said.  
  
"Rigggghhhtt, anyway lets go to the train so we can get something to eat, I'm starving!" James walked through the barrier, closely followed by Sirius and Lily was last.  
  
On the train, talk turned to their families. Sirius was interested at how a muggle lived. While James played with his cat.  
  
"Well my mum and dad were thrilled when I got my letter. But my sister on the other hand got extremely angry and called me a freak! She said that if I wanted to go to this "freak" school that she would never speak to me again! When I left today for Kings Cross, she didn't even come with my parents, I was very upset." Lily explained.  
  
"Hey Lily, did you end up buying a cat when I saw you last? James asked.  
  
"Yeah," Lily got up and opened the wicker basket. A brown and white point Siamese cat walked out daintly.  
  
"Lily she is so cute!" Sirius said, "What is her name?"  
  
"Her name is Gwenivere, but Gwen for short." Lily said, "and I got a collar for here too!" Lily pointed to a pink collar with a gold fob.  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Would you children like any food? I have plenty!" a plump little witch asked. "I have Pumpkin Pasties, Acid Pops, Fizzing Wizzbees, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans,.and if you would like any thing to drink I have Pumpkin Juice!"  
  
"I would like some Chocolate Frogs, please." Sirius said in a rather nice voice.  
  
"I'll have some Pumpkin Pasties and a flask of Pumpkin Juice." James said.  
  
"What is good? I have never had magical food before.I don't know what to try!" Lily said.  
  
"Well the Cauldron Cakes are really good and so are the Fizzing Wizzbees, and of course you need to try some Pumpkin Juice!" the plump witch stated.  
  
"OK, I will try them all." Lily paid for her food and then so did the boys. After that the witch left.  
  
"So Sirius how is your family?" Lily asked.  
  
"Well, my dad is a Auror and my mum is an assistant to the Minister for the Abuse of Underage Magic. I also have a sister who is a 7th year. Her name is Penelope." Sirius started. "My best friend and I have known each other since we were really little."  
  
"Wow! What about you James?" Lily asked.  
  
James jumped at the mention of his name. "Um. well my mum is the Minister of Magical Fisheries, and my dad is a store owner." Sirius starts laughing.. "Shut up Sirius! He is laughing because my dad sells used toilet seats. He also sells fish tanks made out of old freezers," James continued. "I don't know how he does it, but he makes a lot of money!"  
  
Everyone in the compartment busts out laughing.  
  
The scenery outside the window seemed to grow wilder and darker. Everyone on the train was starting to get anxious. They were running up and down the aisles and screaming. The prefects were starting to get very angry. Then a loud announcement came over the PA system. "Anyone out of their compartments will receive a detention and 10 house points deducted before we even arrive at the school." Said a loud, angry, booming voice. All of a sudden all the doors on the train slammed shut, and almost immediately the train got silent. The prefects were now going to each compartment to talk to the students.  
  
There was another knock on the door. This time it was a prefect. "We will be arriving at school soon, so you guys need to get dressed, and the lady too." The prefect said, then he left.  
  
"OK well, I'll go into the bathroom and change. You guys can change in here." Lily said. "See you two soon." She walked over to her trunk and got her school uniform.  
  
Twenty minutes later Lily came back to the compartment. Both boys were eating the last of their food and playing with the cats. "So Lily, I think we should put the cats away.we will be coming to the school soon." Sirius explained.  
  
"Alright, but we need to be careful," James said, "the train could stop at any moment."  
  
"Come here Gwen.we need to have you in your little basket!" James and Lily both coaxed.  
  
"Hey Snivley, do you want to go into your case?" Snivley ran right over to Sirius and jumped on his lap. Sirius said rather non- chalantly, "See, boy cats are smarter than girl cats."  
  
The train came to an abrupt stop. James looked out the window and saw that they were at a little town, and on a big hill he saw a huge castle.  
  
(Continue to next chapter) 


End file.
